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The aim of this study was to analyze the microbiology of buckwheat honey fermentation inoculated with different starter cultures by culturing and PCR-DGGE, taking as a model for comparison a spontaneously fermented batch. The inoculants tested were (i) cider lees (from a cider factory), (ii) sourdough (from a bakery), and (iii) a commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain. The results of the culturing and culture-independent techniques agreed well and detected the same dominant species along the fermentations. Our results suggest that S. cerevisiae strains, which constituted a majority population in all batches including the uninoculated one, carried out the fermentations. The highest microbial diversity was found at the beginning of the fermentation in the uninoculated batch; this contained in addition to S. cerevisiae bacteria (Paracoccus sp., Staphylococcus sp., and Bacillus sp.) and yeast (Candida sp.) species. Candida sp. was also common in batches inoculated with sourdough and cider lees cultures. Lactobacillus species were found throughout the fermentation of the sourdough-inoculated batch. Basic chemical analysis and testing trials demonstrated that the overall sensory acceptance of the four meads were highly similar. Yeast and bacteria isolated in this study could serve as a source of technologically relevant microorganisms for mead production., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Mead is a traditional alcoholic beverage made from fermented honey. The aim of the study was to compare the chemical profiles of different meads and to develop statistical tools which discriminate between meads produced from thermally processed (saturated) honey wort and those produced from unheated honey wort (unsaturated). Particular attention was given to the analysis of phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). RP-UHPLC-ESI-MS was used to analyse the chemical profile, the target and non-target analysis was performed. Applying statistical methods allowed finding compounds which enabled to discriminate saturated and unsaturated meads. It was proved that the phenolic compounds profile and HMF level are not good indicators of thermal processing of honey wort in commercial mead samples. This study also shows that meads can be a good source of tyrosol which forms during alcoholic fermentation. • Method comparing saturated and unsaturated meads was developed. • HMF is not a good indicator of the thermal processing of honey must. • Meads not enriched with fruit juices are poor source of polyphenolic compounds. • Tyrosol is abundant among phenolic compounds determined in the mead samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]